Harness.



W. E. SGHWAHN.

HARNESS.

APPLIGATION FILED HBA, 1912.'

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

lnventr r f .l Attorneys WILLIAM E. SCI-IWAI-IN, OF EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN.

HARNESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26,1913.

Application filed February 1, 1912. Serial No. 674,766.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, VILLIAM E. SCHWAHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at lEau Claire, in the county of Eau Claire and State of lVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Harness, of which thev following is a'specification.

This invention relates to harnesses for horses and other draft animals and more particularly to harnesses embodying breast collars and breeching, thek invention residing in certain improvements in the construction of the neck straps for the suspension of the breast collars and in the construction of the hip straps for the suspension of the breechings. Y

This invention among its several objects contemplates the provision of a neck strap and a hip strap of novel construction, which shall reduce, if not entirely eliminate, the friction of the said straps against the body of the animal, and to obviate the chang of the animal by the contact of buckles, rings, loops or the like, against the'body of the animal.

This invention also contemplates the combination of line or rein supports in connection-with the neck strap and hip strap.

Further objects will appear in the following description, as the nature of the invention is better understood.

This invention is embodied in the novel construction and combination of parts elicited in the following description and pointed out in the appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein the invention is illustrated and wherein- Figure 1 illustrates a horse having the harness embodying the improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a detail embodied in the neck strap construction. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the detail. Fig. t is a sectional view in detail taken through the joint between the main strap and the auxiliary twin straps of the neck strap. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a detail similar to Fig. 9., which is used in the hip strap construction. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the latterdetail. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail taken through the joint between the main strap and the auxiliary twin straps of the hip strap. Fig. 8 is a fragmental detail.

Referring Yspecilically to the drawings,

the breast collar is designated by the numeral 10, which has the usual traces 11 attached thereto; the saddle is designated by the numeral 13, which has the line terrets 24:, through'which the lines or reins 25 pass; the back strap is designated by the numeral 16 and the turnback by the numeral 17 having the crupper 15 attached thereto; and the breeching is designated by the numeral 12 having the usual side straps 14 connected thereto, all of which is customary in harness construction.

The neck strap comprises a main strap, which consists of a safe 28 and a layer 22, and auxiliary twin straps 2l which are connected to thefends of the main strap and which are adapted to be connected to the breast collar 10 to hold the said'breast collar in suspension or in proper position.

The hip strap comprises a main strap consisting of a safe 18 and a layer 19, and auxiliary twin straps 20 which are connected to the ends of the main strap and which are adapted to be connected` to the breeching 12 to hold the breeching in suspension or in proper posit-ion.

The neck strap and hip strap embodying the auxiliary twin straps are generally termed double neck straps or double hip straps, as is the case, and ordinarily when the twin straps move due to the motion of the breast collar or breeehingto which they are att-ached, the main strap of the corresponding neck strap or hip strap will be moved upon the body of the animal or will be twisted or distorted tending to chafe or annoy the animal.

This invention resides more particularly in the connection between the main strap of the neck strap Aand hip strap and the auxiliary twin straps, whereby the twin straps may have a vibratory or swinging motion relative to the main strap, and whereby the main strap may lie in a stationary position against the body of the animal, which result is obtained by the means hereinafter described in detail.

The main strap' and auxiliary twin straps of each' of the neck strap and hip strap are connected byv a coupling embodying a relatively small D-shaped loop T and a relatively large D-shaped loop 29, the curved portion of the small loop being integrally united to the straight portion of the large loop by a relatively narrow and short web 2G. The straight portion 28 ot the small loop is adapted for Vthe engagement of the ma'in strap, while the curved portion 30 of the large loop is designed for the sliding en gagement ot the twin straps. The safes 18 and 23 of the hip strap and neck strap, respectively, extend or pass under the cou'- plings to form a padding for the same, for preventing contact of the couplings with thc body of the animal.

The web 2G of the coupling which con nects the main strap and auxiliary straps oi the neck strap is provided with a square or noncircular opening 33, and an elliptical line terret 32 extends along the common axis of the loops and has a square or non-circular stem 3d projecting from an abutment or shoulder 31 provided at one side of the terret, Vthe stem being riveted through the opening 33 in the web with the shoulder 3l against the web. The terrcts 82 atthe opposite sides project from the couplings ot' the neck strap from between the ends of the main strap and auxiliary straps.

The member' or web 26 of the coupling which connects the main strap and the auxn iliary twin straps of the hip strap has a hook or finger 32 secured thereto intermediate the loops and which projects therefrom intermediate the ends of the main strap and the auxiliary twin straps. The hooks or lingers 32 on the respective sides or the animal. are adapted to catch the lines or reins upon the same being slackened to support the lines or reins and prevent the same from beco-ming entangled with other` parts of the harness or rigging. These hooks or fingers 32 may also be used for engaging the rear ends of the traces to support the traces when not attached to the swingletrec, doubletree or the llike. This hook or finger 32 is secured to the ycoupling similar to the terret 32, the hook having a square or non-circular stem 34 riveted through the square or non-circular opening 33 in the web 2G to bring the shoulder 3l of the hook or linger against the outer face of the web.

rlhe auxiliary twin straps of the neck strap and hip strap are slidably engaged to the arcuate portions 80 ot the D-shaped loops 29 of the members 2G, whereby the twin. straps may have a vibratory or swinging motion. relative to the main straps about axes located at the extremities of the main st "ap, or within the loop formed by the arms 2T and the connecting bars 28.

The safes 1S and 23 of the hip strap and neck strap, reslviectively, passing under the couplings protect the animal from any friction of the twin straps attached to the said members and from th-e said members. The line terrets 32 carried by the neck strap are adapted to support the lines or reins for the purpose of preventing the lines or reins from being caught under the thills, when used in single harnesses7 or on neck yokes or neck straps, in case of a span, and keep the reins or lines in proper position while being on either a single or double harness thereby preventing the lines from being entangled and always keeping the lilies in proper and safe position while the horse or horses are harnessed. These constructions of neck strap and hip strap also prevents the horse from being chafed and also elimina-tes the contact of buckles, rings, loops or the like, against the body of the animal. The twin straps having a vibratory or swinging motion relative to the main straps of the hip strap or neck strap permits the said twin straps to move with the breast collar and breeching without moving, twisting or distort-ing the main straps. The ends of the twin straps which engage the arcuate portion 80 of the D-shaped loop 29 are adapted to slide upon the respective safes, thereby preventing the irritation of chating of the horse, and in this manner the only motion of the neck stra-p and hip strap will reside in the vibratory or swinging motion of the auxiliary twin straps thereof.

The members 26 are in the form of a tigure 8, the loops thereof being of D-shape, and being of ditl'erent sizes, the curved and straight portions of the respective smaller and larger loops being attached at intermediate points, and the straight and curved portions of the respective smaller and larger loops being designed for the engagement oit the stationary strap and for the sliding engagement of twin vibratory straps. Thus, it will be observed that the end portions ot" the said members 26 are straight and curved, respectively, and that the line-supporting members are attached to the members 2G at their intermediate portions. The elliptical line terret 32 is arranged longitudinally of and is longer than the corresponding mem-- ber A26, the said terret having the stem 34 projecting from one side thereotl which is riveted through the intermediate portion of the member 26. This construction of the members 26 is of advantage in several respects which will be apparent.

Neck straps and hip straps of the construction described are simple, durable, and inexpensive in construction, and in use are both convenient and eticient, presenting desirable devices of this character.

Having described the inx'fent-ion, what is claimed as new is A coupling for neck straps embodying relatively large and small D-shaped loops,

the curved portion ot the small loop and the straight portion oitl the large loop being integrally united by a relatively narrow and short web, the straight port-ion of the small loop being adapted for the engagement of the main strap of a neck strap and the curved portion of the large loop being In testimony that I olaiin the foregoing designed for the slidingengagement of the as my own, I have hereto affixed my signativin straps for supporting a breast Collar, ture in the presence of tivo Witnesses.

the web having an opening therein, and an WILLIAM E. SCHWAHN. 5 elliptical line terret extending' along the lNIit-nesses:

common axis of the loops and having a stem T. F. FRAWLEY, at one side riveted through the Web. i CLARA SCHROEDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

